Knitting as a Way of Praying

Knitting is an important tradition among the women of my family. I was taught to knit by my mother, who, along with her sisters, learned from their mother. This craft has been passed on through many generations. Knitting is part of who I am.

During my undergraduate studies, I came across information about the Prayer Shawl ministry: an international, well-known effort to make God's presence tangibly felt through the work of knitting. This happens for the knitter, who is transported into a deeply prayerful state by the rhythm of the needles and yarn; for the communities that often gather to knit and pray together, who discover God present "where two or three are gathered;" and for the recipient of the knitted work, who experiences a tangible sign of the love of God and others through the comforting reality of something they can hold. A great deal more can be found about this particular iteration of knitting as a form of prayer here, on the official international website.

Knitting as a way of entering into prayer can be done in as many ways as there are knitters. I have often found myself meditating my way through a scarf, for instance, or a hat made for a niece or nephew! What matters is that as I sit down with my simple tools - knitting needles and a skein of yarn - I allow myself to be quieted and centered by the experience of mindfully creating stitch after stitch after stitch. It is often much easier, in those moments, to keep my mind quiet while my hands are busy. Creating something which benefits others often becomes an opportunity to pray specifically for that person. Alternatively, I sometimes find myself having prolonged conversations with God, or simply sitting together with God like an old friend. 

Do you have an everyday, 'secular' pastime that helps you to feel the presence of God in your life? Are you a knitter who might like to try praying in this way?